Gov. George Pataki's approval rating has jumped to 70 - 22 percent, topping his
previous high of 62 - 30 percent approval rating, and he tops all potential Democratic rivals more
than 2 - 1, according to a Quinnipiac College Poll released today.

Matching Pataki's approval rating, a total of 73 percent of New York State voters are very
satisfied or somewhat satisfied with life in the state, while 27 percent are somewhat dissatisfied or
very dissatisfied, the independent Quinnipiac College Poll finds.

In any of these matchups, Pataki gets 30 percent or more of Democratic votes.

"The election for Governor is nine months away, but the only movement is toward Pataki,
whose approval rating and margin over Democratic challengers just keeps growing. At this point,
he wipes out any of the potential challengers," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac
College Polling Institute. "The overwhelming leader for the Democratic nomination for
Governor: Undecided. Among Democrats with a name, Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey Ross does
the best, but she's got problems. She's fairly well-known, but not all that well-liked."

By a 58 - 13 percent margin, New York voters have a favorable opinion of Pataki, with 24
percent mixed and 5 percent who say they haven't heard enough to form an opinion.

"New Yorker voters are unusually prudent when asked what to do with the budget surplus:
25 percent say improve services, but 32 percent say cut taxes and 40 percent say pay off some
debt," Carroll said.

The quality of life got better in New York State in the last four years, according to 52
percent of voters, while 13 percent say it got worse and 33 percent say it's the same.

A total of 85 percent of New Yorkers rate their family financial situation as very good or
fairly good, with similar responses from upstaters, New York City voters and suburbanites. But
perceptions differ when voters look at the overall state economy:

68 percent of upstaters say New York's economy is very good or fairly good, compared to 81
percent of city voters and 87 percent of suburban voters;

43 percent of upstate voters say the economy has gotten better, compared to 55 percent of
city voters and 59 percent of suburban voters.

From February 17 - 23, Quinnipiac College surveyed 1,326 New Yorkers who say they are
registered voters. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percent. The Quinnipiac College
Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey
and Connecticut as a public service and for research.

1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George Pataki is handling his job as
Governor of New York?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Approve 70% 76% 60% 74% 86% 55% 73% 62%

Disapprove 22 18 32 17 7 38 20 30

DK/NA 8 7 8 8 8 7 7 7

1A. Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Approve strongly 27% 30% 18% 35% 50% 12% 23% 22%

Approve smwht 43 46 43 40 35 43 50 40

Disapprove smwht 13 12 15 11 5 21 12 15

Disapprove strongly 9 5 16 6 1 17 8 15

DK/NA 8 7 8 8 8 7 7 7

4. Is your opinion of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes
favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Favorable 17% 5% 31% 17% 11% 23% 16% 17%

Unfavorable 5 2 6 6 6 2 6 6

Mixed 8 2 15 8 6 9 8 8

Hvn't hrd enough 71 90 47 68 76 66 69 69

Refused 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 1

5. Is your opinion of former Urban Development Corporation President Richard Kahan
favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Favorable 4% 4% 5% 3% 5% 4% 3% 3%

Unfavorable 2 2 2 2 1 2 3 3

Mixed 4 4 5 5 4 4 4 5

Hvn't hrd enough 89 90 87 91 89 90 89 88

Refused 1 1 1 - - - 1 1

6. Is your opinion of former Long Island Association President James Larocca
favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Favorable 4% 2% 2% 7% 6% 3% 3% 4%

Unfavorable 3 2 3 5 3 2 4 3

Mixed 5 4 3 8 5 4 5 4

Hvn't hrd enough 88 90 92 80 86 91 87 88

Refused 1 1 1 1 1 - 1 1

7. Is your opinion of Governor George Pataki favorable, unfavorable, mixed, or
haven't you heard enough about him?

9. Is your opinion of New York City Council Speaker Peter Vallone favorable,
unfavorable, mixed, or haven't you heard enough about him?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Favorable 15% 4% 27% 16% 13% 16% 15% 13%

Unfavorable 5 2 7 5 6 3 5 4

Mixed 11 4 20 11 7 14 12 10

Hvn't hrd enough 69 90 45 67 74 67 67 72

Refused 1 1 1 1 1 - 1 1

10. If the 1998 election for Governor were being held today and the candidates
were George Pataki the Republican, and Charles Hynes the Democrat, for whom
would you vote?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Pataki 60% 66% 45% 67% 90% 30% 63% 54%

Hynes 23 16 37 18 4 48 16 28

SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 2 2 2 3 - 3 3 2

WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 2 1 3 1 - 3 2 2

DK/NA 13 15 13 12 5 16 16 14

11. If the 1998 election for Governor were being held today and the candidates
were George Pataki the Republican, and Richard Kahan the Democrat, for whom
would you vote?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Pataki 62% 66% 49% 71% 92% 34% 64% 57%

Kahan 17 14 25 12 2 36 12 21

SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 3 2 3 3 1 3 4 2

WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 2 1 4 2 1 4 2 3

DK/NA 16 17 19 13 5 23 18 17

12. If the 1998 election for Governor were being held today and the candidates
were George Pataki the Republican, and James Larocca the Democrat, for whom
would you vote?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Pataki 61% 67% 50% 67% 91% 33% 64% 57%

Larocca 18 15 25 13 3 40 11 21

SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 2 2 3 3 1 3 3 2

WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 2 1 3 3 - 3 2 3

DK/NA 16 15 19 14 4 21 19 16

13. If the 1998 election for Governor were being held today and the candidates
were George Pataki the Republican, and Betsey McCaughey Ross the Democrat, for
whom would you vote?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Pataki 59% 62% 48% 68% 87% 36% 58% 54%

McCaughey Ross 26 25 33 20 8 46 24 29

SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 2 1 3 3 - 2 3 2

WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 2 1 4 1 - 4 2 3

DK/NA 10 11 13 7 4 11 13 12

14. If the 1998 election for Governor were being held today and the candidates
were George Pataki the Republican, and Peter Vallone the Democrat, for whom
would you vote?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Pataki 60% 67% 44% 67% 89% 30% 63% 56%

Vallone 23 14 38 20 4 48 19 26

SOMEONE ELSE(VOL) 2 2 2 2 1 2 3 2

WOULDN'T VOTE(VOL) 2 2 3 2 1 4 1 2

DK/NA 13 15 14 10 5 16 14 14

16. In general, how satisfied are you with the way things are going in New
York State today? Are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat
dissatisfied or very dissatisfied?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Very satisfied 13% 12% 11% 15% 24% 6% 12% 9%

Smwht satisfied 60 57 60 64 62 61 58 51

Smwht dissatisfied 20 22 20 17 10 24 22 27

Very dissatisfied 7 9 8 3 3 9 7 12

DK/NA 1 - 1 1 1 1 - 1

17. Over the last few years, do you feel that things in New York State have
gotten better, gotten worse, or stayed about the same?

Dec 10
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Better 52% 46% 57% 56% 70% 44% 50% 44%

Worse 13 17 12 8 5 17 15 20

Same 33 36 29 34 23 37 34 35

DK/NA 2 1 3 2 2 2 1 2

18. How much of the change do you think is due to the policies of Governor
Pataki? A lot, some, only a little, or none at all?

Better Worse

A lot 31% 36%

Some 52 35

Little 12 20

None 3 5

DK/NA 2 4

19. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George Pataki is handling the state
budget?

Sep 24
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Approve 51% 53% 44% 56% 70% 36% 49% 30%

Disapprove 34 36 35 28 20 46 34 54

DK/NA 15 11 21 16 10 18 17 16

20. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George Pataki is handling crime?

Sep 24
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Approve 67% 66% 61% 76% 84% 56% 66% 56%

Disapprove 20 20 24 16 7 30 21 31

DK/NA 13 15 15 7 9 14 13 13

21. And do you approve or disapprove of the way George Pataki is handling
education?

Sep 24
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Approve 51% 61% 36% 52% 68% 35% 52% 41%

Disapprove 38 30 51 34 19 56 37 47

DK/NA 11 9 13 13 13 9 11 12

22. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George Pataki is handling the
environment?

Sep 24
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Approve 56% 58% 50% 60% 71% 45% 54% 51%

Disapprove 28 24 34 25 12 39 29 29

DK/NA 17 19 16 15 16 16 17 20

23. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George Pataki is handling taxes?

Sep 24
Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind 1997

Approve 48% 52% 41% 52% 61% 40% 48% 34%

Disapprove 42 39 45 41 35 48 42 56

DK/NA 10 9 14 7 4 12 10 10

24. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George Pataki is handling welfare
and the poor?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Approve 47% 51% 37% 53% 65% 30% 50%

Disapprove 38 36 48 30 21 56 35

DK/NA 15 13 15 17 14 14 16

25. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George Pataki is handling the
economy and jobs?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Approve 59% 61% 51% 68% 78% 45% 59%

Disapprove 31 32 36 23 15 43 32

DK/NA 10 7 13 9 7 13 9

26. How would you rate the condition of New York State's economy these days?
Very good, fairly good, fairly bad, or very bad?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Very good 10% 4% 16% 12% 15% 7% 8%

Fairly good 67 64 65 75 70 67 68

Fairly bad 18 25 12 11 12 20 18

Very bad 4 6 4 1 2 5 5

DK/NA 2 1 3 1 1 2 2

27. Over the last few years do you think New York State's economy has gotten
better, gotten worse, or stayed about the same?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Better 51% 43% 55% 59% 66% 42% 51%

Worse 13 19 10 7 7 15 13

Same 35 37 33 32 26 41 34

DK/NA 2 1 2 1 1 2 1

28. How would you rate your family's financial situation? Very good,
fairly good, fairly bad, or very bad?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Very good 17% 15% 18% 19% 24% 14% 17%

Fairly good 68 69 65 69 67 67 69

Fairly bad 10 11 10 8 6 14 9

Very bad 3 4 5 1 2 4 5

DK/NA 2 1 2 2 2 1 1

29. Over the last few years has your family's financial situation gotten
better, gotten worse, or stayed about the same?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Better 36% 33% 37% 43% 45% 32% 36%

Worse 15 15 16 12 10 18 14

Same 47 50 47 44 43 49 49

DK/NA 2 2 1 2 1 1 1

30. New York State currently has a budget surplus. Do you think the budget
surplus should be used to improve services, cut taxes, or pay off some of the
debt?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind

Improve services 25% 18% 38% 20% 15% 37% 22%

Cut taxes 32 30 30 37 39 26 32

Pay of debt 40 48 28 40 43 35 43

DK/NA 4 4 4 3 3 2 4

46. If the 1998 Democratic primary for Governor were being held today and the
candidates were Charles Hynes, Richard Kahan, James Larocca, Betsey McCaughey
Ross, and Peter Vallone for whom would you vote?